The capability of handheld electronic devices continues to advance. For instance, cellphones have increased in capability and have now evolved into so-called smartphones. These mobile phones are built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a typical cellular phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone or camera. Modern models of mobile phones and other handheld electronic devices incorporate the functions of portable media players, digital still and motion video cameras, GPS navigation units and additional electronic capabilities.
Today's smartphones typically also include high-resolution touchscreens, web browsers that can access and properly display standard web pages, and high-speed data access via Wi-Fi and mobile broadband links. Application programming interfaces (APIs) on smartphones allow third-party applications to better integrate with the phone's operating system and hardware, while cellphones more commonly run on proprietary firmware. A variety of operating systems power conventional smartphones, including Android™, iOS™ and Windows® Phone (Android™ is a trademark of Google Inc., iOS™ is a trademark of Cisco Systems used under license by Apple Inc., and Windows® is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation). The confluence of consumer electronic devices and capabilities continues. Such capabilities can also be found on tablets and other handheld devices not equipped with phone capability.
Despite the significant advances in hand held electronic devices, the physical form of these devices has seen little evolution. Most are shaped like a more or less smooth brick with increasingly smooth front, back and side surfaces. This configuration can easily slip from the hand of the user, and risk damaging the phone with potential loss of valuable data as well as hardware. Some aftermarket removable covers have been proposed, but such covers add bulk and weight and otherwise fail to provide an elegant solution.